A number of material handling systems have been designed for processing matrials to a users specifications. The following U.S. Patents disclose examples of previously known material handling systems: 3,486,744, Beyers et al; 3,526,395, Brown; 3,743,260, Alleman et al; 3,792,846, Geffert; 3,821,840, Kershaw; 3,851,864, Miller; 4,097,713, Dunshee; 4,162,060, Anderson et al; 4,220,318, Anderson et al; 4,341,374, Seelinger; 4,358,091, Talanda; 4,453,702, Anderson et al.
Several of the aforementioned U.S. Patents implement a conveyor system for maximizing the efficiency of the material handling system. The conveyor systems are designed to transport the material from a loading area to an operating area where the material is subsequently processed. The material handling systmes customarily use flame cutting machines or the like for processing the materials. The flame cutting machines emit a number of pollutants, such as smoke, noise and harmful light rays, to the environment. The previously known material handling systems have used water tables to reduce the pollutants emitted by the flame cutting machines. In these material handling systems the entire conveyor, including the chains, is passed through the water table. This feature has resulted in elaborate designs for water tables that are extremely expensive and labor intensive to manufacture. Further, a number of the conveyor type material handling systems have fixed the water table in a stationary position. The water in the stationary water table is maintained at a first level to enable the conveyor to pass therethrough. Once the material is located adjacent the operating area, the water level is raised and the processing steps commenced. The additional step of raising and lowering the water level in the water table has significantly reduced the efficiency of the previously known material handling systems. Additionally, since the chains of the conveyor systems are passed through the water table they have experienced fatal corrosion due to their exposure to the water in the water table and the residue produced during the processing steps.